Engine oil circulation apparatus for vehicle

ABSTRACT

An engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle in which the temperature of the engine oil in an oil sump can be increased up to the desired set temperature within a short time just after starting an engine, and as a result, the engine oil having appropriate viscosity can be supplied to an engine lubricating system within a short time just after starting the engine.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority of Korean Patent Application Number 10-2011-0119756 filed Nov. 16, 2011, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle configured to supply engine oil having optimal viscosity to an engine lubricating system within a short time just after starting an engine.

2. Description of Related Art

Improvement of fuel efficiency of an internal combustion engine as a countermeasure for high oil prices becomes the major talking point and general consumers preferentially consider fuel efficiency at the time of purchasing a vehicle.

Various methods for improving the engine oil among various methods developed to improve the fuel efficiency in an automobile industry have been actively researched.

The engine oil performs two roles, a lubricating function to prevent an engine component from being worn and a function to cool the engine from heat generated during combustion.

However, since the engine oil itself has a fluid having viscosity, a load is applied to an oil pump that operates to circulate the engine oil in an engine lubricating system, and as a result, as the oil pump requires larger power, an oil pump having a large capacity cannot but be used.

Further, when the viscosity of the engine oil is high, the engine oil having the high viscosity influences operations of components of the engine lubricating system as a resistance to consume engine power.

There is a trend toward decreasing the viscosity by adding an additive to the engine oil in order to improve the fuel efficiency for this reason, but maintenance expenses of general consumers may increase and further, the addition of the additive to the engine oil influences even other physical properties of engine oil deteriorating engine durability.

Accordingly, the viscosity is rapidly reduced by rapidly heating the engine oil in an initial starting stage rather than changing the physical feature of the engine oil itself, and as a result, the method for improving the fuel efficiency is considered.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration for an engine oil circulation apparatus in the related art, which is used to improve the fuel efficiency. In the apparatus in the related art, an oil thermostat 2 changing a path depending on a temperature of the engine oil is installed at a rear end of an oil pump 1, the oil thermostat 2, an oil cooler 3, an oil filter 4, an engine lubricating system 5, an oil sump 6, the oil pump 1, and the oil thermostat 2 are connected to a main path 7 in sequence and the oil thermostat 2 and the oil pump 4 are connected to a bypass path 8.

In the apparatus, until the temperature of the engine oil in the initial starting stage becomes a set temperature, the engine oil pressure-fed by the oil pump 1 bypasses the oil filter 4 through the bypass path 8 and thereafter, is supplied to the engine lubricating system 5 and when the temperature of the engine oil reaches the set temperature after a predetermined time elapsed, the engine oil pressure-transferred by the oil pump 1 is supplied to the engine lubricating system 5 via the oil cooler 3 and the oil filter 4 by passing through a main path without passing through the bypass path 8 by actuating the oil thermostat 2.

The oil cooler 3 is used to prevent the engine oil from being overheated and when the engine oil is overheated, the viscosity becomes too low, and as a result, the lubricating function deteriorates.

When the temperature of the engine oil supplied to the engine lubricating system 5 by passing through the oil cooler 3 becomes below the set temperature, the engine oil passes through directly the oil filter 4 through the bypass path 8 at the oil thermostat 2 without passing through the main path 7 connected from the oil thermostat 2 to the oil cooler 3.

However, in the apparatus the related art, the engine oil heated while passing through the engine lubricating system 5 is mixed with the engine oil sump 6 to perform cooling and thereafter, a lot of time is required until the engine lubricating system 5 and in particular, since the temperature of the engine oil supplied to the engine lubricating system, the oil having high engine oil and low viscosity cannot but be supplied, and as a result, fuel efficiency is generated and lubrication between wet movable components of the engine is not smooth, abnormal noise is generated.

The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Various aspects of the present invention provide for an engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle that is configured to supply engine oil heated while passing through an engine lubricating system directly to an oil pump before the engine oil in the oil sump is sufficiently heated just after starting an engine and configured to return the engine oil passing through the engine lubricating system to the oil pump and thereafter, supply the returned engine oil to the oil pump after the engine oil in the oil pump is sufficiently heated to decrease viscosity of the engine oil supplied to the engine lubricating system within a short time just after starting the engine, thereby improving fuel efficiency and preventing abnormal noise from being generated from components of the engine lubricating system.

Various aspects of the present invention provide for an engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle, including an oil drain tray fixedly installed in the oil sump, an oil thermostat fixedly installed below the oil drain tray to change a movement path of the engine oil according to the temperature of the engine oil in an oil sump, a main path through which the engine oil is circulated in the oil sump, the oil pump, the oil cooler, the oil filter, the engine lubricating system, the oil drain tray, the oil thermostat, and the oil sump in sequence, and a bypass path connecting the oil drain tray and the oil pump.

The apparatus may further include a support oil thermostat installed to connect to the main path that connects the oil pump and the oil cooler with each other to change the movement path of the engine oil according to the temperature of the engine oil, and a support bypass path connecting the support oil thermostat and the oil filter with each other.

A plurality of oil through-holes may be formed for discharging the engine oil to the oil sump are formed in the oil drain tray.

The oil thermostat may be installed to be immersed in the engine oil in the oil sump.

The oil thermostat may include a housing having a first path connected with the oil drain tray, a second path connected to the oil sump, and a third path connected to the oil pump, a valve member movably installed in the housing so that the engine oil introduced through the first path is discharged through the second path or the third path, and a wax-type valve bar installed with both ends connected to the housing and the valve member and moving the valve with the length thereof decreased or increased according to the temperature of the engine oil.

The oil thermostat may further include a valve spring installed with both ends thereof supported on the housing and the valve member to provide elastic force to restore the valve member when the valve bar contracts.

It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing an engine oil circulation apparatus in the related art.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary engine oil circulation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram for describing an oil thermostat used in the engine oil circulation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another exemplary engine oil circulation apparatus according to the present invention.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention includes an oil sump 11 retaining engine oil, an oil drain tray 12 fixedly installed in the oil sump 11, an oil thermostat 13 fixedly installed below the oil drain tray 12 to change a movement path of the engine oil according to the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11, an oil pump 14 pressure-feeding the engine oil in the oil sump 11, an oil cooler 15 reducing the temperature of the engine oil passing through the oil pump 14, an oil filter 17 removing foreign materials included in the engine oil before the engine oil passing through the oil cooler 15 is supplied to an engine lubricating system 16, a main path 18 through which the engine oil is circulated in the oil sump 11, the oil pump 14, the oil cooler 15, the oil filter 17, the engine lubricating system 16, the oil drain tray 12, the oil thermostat 13, and the oil sump 11 in sequence, and a bypass path 19 connecting the oil drain tray 12 and the oil pump 14 with each other.

Herein, a plurality of oil through-holes 12 a are formed for discharging the engine oil to the oil sump 11 are formed in the oil drain tray 12.

That is, the engine oil heated while passing through the engine lubricating system 16 is discharged to the oil drain tray 12. Most of the engine oil discharged to the oil drain tray 12 is returned to the oil sump 11 through the main path 18 or moved to the oil pump 14 through the bypass path 19 and the remaining some engine oil is discharged directly to the oil sump 11 through the oil through-hole 12 a.

When the engine oil in the oil drain tray 12 is not returned to the oil sump 11 but moved to the oil pump 14 through the bypass path 19 by actuation of the oil thermostat 13 while the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 does not reach a set temperature just after starting an engine, if some of the engine oil in the oil dray tray 12 is discharged directly to the oil sump 11 through the oil through-hole 12 a, the engine oil in the oil sump 11 is mixed with the engine heated while passing through the engine lubricating system 16, and as a result, the temperature of the engine oil rises within a short time.

In addition, the oil thermostat 13 may be installed to be immersed in the engine oil in the oil sump 11 in order to raise the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 within a short time by heat-exchange between the heated engine oil passing through the oil thermostat 13 and cooled engine oil in the oil sump 11 when the engine oil in the oil drain tray 12 is not returned to the oil sump 11 but moved to the oil pump 14 through the bypass path 19 by actuation of the oil thermostat 13 while the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 does not reach a set temperature just after starting an engine.

In addition, the oil thermostat 13 includes a housing 13 d having a first path 13 a connected with the oil drain tray 12, a second path 13 b connected to the oil sump 11, and a third path 13 c connected to the oil pump 14, a valve member 13 e movably installed in the housing 13 d so that the engine oil introduced through the first path 13 a is discharged through the second path 13 b or the third path 13 c, a wax-type valve bar 13 f installed with both ends connected to the housing 13 d and the valve member 13 e and moving the valve 13 e with the length thereof decreased or increased according to the temperature of the engine oil, and a valve spring 13 g installed with both ends thereof supported on the housing 13 d and the valve member 13 e to provide elastic force to restore the valve member 13 e when the valve bar 13 f contracts.

Herein, the first and second paths 13 a and 13 b serve as the main path 18 and the third path 13 c serve as the bypass path 19.

The state of FIG. 3A is a situation before the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 reaches the set temperature just after starting the engine. In this case, the wax-type valve bar 13 f is a contraction state in which the length thereof is decreased and the second path 13 b connected with the oil sump 11 is clogged by the valve member 13 e, and as a result, the engine oil moving to the housing 13 d from the oil drain tray 12 through the first path 13 a moves to the oil pump 14 through the third path 13 c and the bypass path 19.

In addition, the state of FIG. 3B is a situation in which the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 reaches the set temperature. In this case, the wax-type valve bar 13 f is expanded with the length thereof increased by the temperature of the engine oil and simultaneously, the valve member 13 e moves to the third path 13 c along the housing 13 d and further, the valve spring 13 g is compressed.

In the above state, the engine oil moves to the housing 13 from the oil drain tray 12 through the first path 13 a moves to the oil sump 11 through the second path 13 b.

Hereinafter, an operation of the engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described.

In an initial engine starting stage, until the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 reaches the set temperature, the engine oil press-fed by the oil pump 14 moves along a path through which the engine oil is circulated in the oil cooler 15, the oil filter 17, the engine lubricating system 16, the oil drain tray 12, the oil thermostat 13, the bypass path 19, and the oil pump 14 in sequence.

While the engine oil moves through the bypass path 19, some of the engine oil in the oil drain tray 12 is discharged directly to the oil sump 11 through the oil through-hole 12 a and by this operation, low-temperature engine oil in the oil sump 11 is mixed with high-temperature engine oil heated while passing through the engine lubricating system 16, and as a result, the temperature of the engine oil rises within a short time.

Further, since the oil thermostat 13 is installed to be immersed in the engine oil in the oil sump 11, the high-temperature engine oil passing through the oil thermostat 13 and the low-temperature engine oil in the oil sump 11 continuously exchange heat, and as a result, the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 rises within a short time.

As described above, as the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 just after rises within a short time, the engine oil having appropriate viscosity may be supplied to the engine lubricating system 16, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and preventing the abnormal noise from being generated from the wet movable components of the engine lubricating system.

When the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 reaches the set temperature as a predetermined time elapsed after starting the engine, the engine oil press-fed by the oil pump 14 moves along the main path 18 through which the engine oil is circulated in the oil sump 11, the oil pump 14, the oil cooler 15, the oil filter 17, the engine lubricating system 16, the oil drain tray 12, the oil thermostat 13, and the oil pump 14 in sequence.

In addition, when the temperature of the engine oil drops below the set temperature again by the oil cooler 15, the engine oil discharged to the oil drain tray 12 from the engine lubricating system 16 is not discharged to the oil sump 11 but moved directly to the oil pump 14 through the bypass path 19 until the temperature of the engine oil rises.

Meanwhile, FIG. 4 shows a configuration of an engine oil circulation apparatus according to various embodiments of the present invention. The configuration of FIG. 4 further includes a support oil thermostat 21 and a support bypass path 22 in addition to the configuration of FIG. 2 and the rest of the configuration of FIG. 4 is the same as the configuration of FIG. 2, the corresponding configuration will be omitted.

The support oil thermostat 21 is installed to connect to the main path 18 that connects the oil pump 14 and the oil cooler 15 with each other and serves to change the movement path of the engine oil according to the temperature of the engine oil and the support bypass path 22 is configured to connect the support oil thermostat 21 and the oil filter 17 with each other.

In the configuration of FIG. 4, the engine oil pressure-fed by the oil pump 14 directly passes through the oil filter 17 through the support bypass path 22 and thereafter, is supplied to the engine lubricating system 16 without passing through the oil cooler 15 by actuating the support oil thermostat 21.

By the above configuration, the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 may rise within a shorter time.

In addition, when the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 reaches the set temperature, the engine oil passes through the oil cooler 15 and the oil filter 17 and thereafter, is supplied to the lubricating system 16 by actuating the support oil thermostat 21, thereby preventing the engine oil from being overheated.

In the engine oil circulation apparatus according to various embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump 11 can be increased up to the desired set temperature within a short time just after starting the engine, and as a result, the engine oil having appropriate viscosity can be supplied to the engine lubricating system 16 within a short time just after starting the engine, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and preventing the abnormal noise from being generated from the wet movable components of the engine lubricating system.

According to the engine oil circulation apparatus for the vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the engine oil in the oil sump can be increased up to the desired set temperature within a short time just after starting the engine, and as a result, the engine oil having appropriate viscosity can be supplied to the engine lubricating system 16 within a short time just after starting the engine, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and preventing the abnormal noise from being generated from the wet movable components of the engine lubricating system.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms upper or lower, front or rear, inside or outside, and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle including an oil sump, comprising: an oil drain tray mounted in the oil sump; an oil thermostat mounted below the oil drain tray to change a movement path of engine oil according to the temperature of the engine oil in an oil sump; a main path through which the engine oil is sequentially circulated in the oil sump, an oil pump, an oil cooler, an oil filter, an engine lubricating system, the oil drain tray, the oil thermostat, and the oil sump; and a bypass path fluidly connecting the oil drain tray and the oil pump with each other.
 2. The engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a support oil thermostat connecting to the main path that connects the oil pump and the oil cooler with each other to change the movement path of the engine oil according to the temperature of the engine oil; and a support bypass path connecting the support oil thermostat and the oil filter with each other.
 3. The engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a plurality of oil through-holes for discharging the engine oil to the oil sump are formed in the oil drain tray.
 4. The engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the oil thermostat is immersed in the engine oil in the oil sump.
 5. The engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the oil thermostat includes: a housing having a first path connected with the oil drain tray, a second path connected to the oil sump, and a third path connected to the oil pump; a valve member movably installed in the housing so that the engine oil introduced through the first path is discharged through the second path or the third path; and a wax-type valve bar installed with both ends connected to the housing and the valve member and moving the valve with the length thereof decreased or increased according to the temperature of the engine oil.
 6. The engine oil circulation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein the oil thermostat further includes a valve spring installed with both ends thereof supported on the housing and the valve member to provide elastic force to restore the valve member when the valve bar contracts. 